In today’s competitive environment finding your dream job calls for a highly methodical approach. There a millions of jobs out there and millions of applicants. You need to efficiently plan your job hunting for recruiters to notice your application within so much noise. Follow the below 5 step guide to hunt down your dream job.
1. Apportion Time
You should set aside a particular amount of time every day for actively working on your job search plan. It can range from 1-2 hours a day. Try that you sit for this job search assignment on the same time every day. Do not let anything distract you during these 1-2 hours. Cellphone on silent, go offline from all the casual networking platforms including social media, and ask your friends & family to excuse you. Set an environment where you can focus your 100% without any distractions. A meaningful and rewarding job which exactly suits your profile is out there. Hunting it down and preparing yourself well for it would call for some sincere and disciplinary efforts from your end.
2. Self-Analysis
You need to think deep on your interests, motivations and career choices. Pen down your interests, skills, experiences, goals and achievements. These would give you answers to questions like – What do you want from your employer? Which components of your would-be job will motivate you? Where do you want to reach professionally through your next job? This would give you a clear idea on the kind of work you want to be doing. Other things like location, salary, travel, perks etc. should also be looked upon.
3. Research Aggressively!
After finalizing on your intended profile, salary, location and other factors you need to research and find out what is out there for you. Learn about the kind of profiles being offered in your industry. What are the latest skills which are in demand pertaining to your profile? Talk to your ex-colleagues, alumni, friends who are in the same industry. Use job community websites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor etc. and stay updated with the latest buzz in your industry. Connect with industry leaders on LinkedIn and initiate a conversation with them seeking guidance. Follow companies and their latest news to stay updated. You would surely get more clarity on the available roles out there and the expectations out of each role. Try to find the best fit available with your self-analysis outcomes. Remember, no job is perfect. More often than not you will have to compromise on one or the other factors. You just need to make sure that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages while selecting one.
4. Start Applying.
Once you are clear about the profile/company you want to target, make sure you use multi-channel strategy for applying. Company website, LinkedIn, a reference through an existing employee, mailing your CV to the identified recruiters of the company on their professional email-ids. You can seek opinion on your resume from people who are currently on your desired profile. Your sole motive should be to make your application get noticed by the concerned recruiter amongst several other applications.
5. Follow-Up
This is a key step in your job search plan. Most of us consider it done once they have applied and wait for a call. Instead, you can give them a call asking about the status. Amongst several other applications, recruiters might have missed out on your application. You need to make sure that does not happen. This also shows your eagerness for the job and leaves a positive impression.
Jitu is Co-Founder of Mantras2Success. He has Engineering & MBA degrees to his name, along with 10+ years of corporate work experience in fortune 500 companies. Jitu is passionate about improving the careers of the modern day professional. He would be reading books or watching documentaries if not fulfilling his dreams at Mantras2Success.